Under the new proposal, chimps in captivity would get the same protections as those in the wild.

Treatment of Chimps "Must Change"

Animal activists are hailing a move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give captive chimpanzees the same protections under the Endangered Species Act as their wild cousins. Currently, chimps in captivity are listed as threatened. The proposal would make it more difficult to use the animals in medical research, requiring a special permit. "This decision gives me hope that we truly have begun to understand that our attitudes toward treatment of our closest living relatives must change," said Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a world-renowned expert on chimps, in a statement. — Read it at The New York Times

Spanish Police Dog Wins British Award

Ajax, a retired police dog, was given a prestigious bravery award by a British animal charity for his work in detecting a bomb on the island of Mallorca just two hours after officers were killed in a terror attack on July 30, 2009. Ajax found the bomb planted under a car by the Basque group ETA. With his handler Civil Guard Sergeant Juan Carlos Alabarces Muno by his side, the bushy-coated 12-year-old German Shepherd received the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals' Gold Medal at a ceremony outside Madrid on Tuesday. — Read it and see photos at AP via Yahoo

Red Panda Makes D.C. Zoo Debut

Shama, the National Zoo’s red panda resident, has a new breeding partner. Rusty, who turns 1 year old next month, was transferred to Washington from the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska. After spending 30 days in quarantine, the little guy was introduced to Shama last week. Things went smoothly on the first day, and by the second day, keepers spotted Shama grooming Rusty, which they consider to be a sign that the pair is doing well together. — See photos from the National Zoo

Elusive Oarfish Caught on Video

A newly released video taken by a remotely operated vehicle in August 2011 is the longest and highest quality film of the mysterious oarfish yet, said Mark Benfield, a researcher at Louisiana State University who was part of the team that shot the video. The fish lives far offshore, in the depths of the ocean. It’s thought to be the world’s longest bony fish, a group that excludes sharks and rays. With some reaching 26 feet long, they swim with their heads upright and their tails beneath them. Five videos of the fish were published online last week in the Journal of Fish Biology. — Watch it at Live Science

Dog Survives Rabbit Chase Off a Cliff

Sam, an 8-year-old Golden Retriever, didn’t seem to notice a 250-foot cliff when he decided to chase a rabbit in Devon, England. Jonathan Minshull and the rest of Sam’s family were ahead of him on the trail, so they didn’t realize what had happened at first. "He was there one minute and the next he was gone. At first we thought he'd run into a field which was near the path. We were searching in the field for him, it didn't cross my mind for one second that he might have jumped off a cliff!" Minshull said. When the family realized where Sam was, they called a local search and rescue group to help bring him back up. Sam’s fall was cushioned by a clump of bushes, and he was given a clean bill of health after the incident. — Read it at Paw Nation